Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/444527
Events 28 maltatoday, Sunday, 11 January 2015 Last week the Chairman of the Vodafone Malta Foundation, Mr Michel Macelli, was invited by Ms Simone Mizzi, Executive President of Din L-Art Helwa, to Our Lady of Victory Church in Valletta to see at first hand the significant progress achieved so far in this major restoration project. This church, now open to visi- tors on a daily basis, is among the capital's foremost historical landmarks and has undergone a radical transformation both externally and internally. The Vodafone Malta Foundation was very pleased to have contributed to this effort over the past three years, with this contribution be- ing directed mainly towards the presentational aspect of the res- toration project. The Foundation sponsored a number of initiatives aimed at en- hancing the visitor experience, in- cluding an interactive kiosk, audio guides, a guidebook, a ticketing machine as well as external and internal signage. Mr Macelli commented, "I am truly impressed by the scale and quality of the restoration work carried out at Our Lady of Vic- tory Church and congratulate Din l-Art Helwa for their persistence and commitment in rescuing this historical gem and bringing it to life once again. Vodafone Malta Foundation is honoured to have been a partner in this process, and I am particularly pleased that our contribution was directly aimed at interpreting the Church and its riches for local and foreign visi- tors." Honda HR-V wins What Car? Reader Award Vodafone Malta Foundation visits the Our Lady of Victory Church in Valletta Saving Buskett The Honda HR-V has won the cov- eted What Car? reader award and has been named as the most eagerly anticipated car launch of 2015. Claiming a massive 25% of the 10,000 votes, the Honda HR-V clinched the top spot in the poll compiled by What Car? experts and voted for by the readers. A valuable indication of sentiment towards cars being brought to market in the next year, last year more than 10,000 readers cast their vote. First unveiled at the Paris Motor Show at the start of October last year, the HR-V is Honda's new entry into Europe's fast-growing small SUV segment. Set to go on sale this summer, the HR-V uses a cen- tre fuel tank location to maximise cabin roominess and has a unique exterior design which echoes that of a coupé, with sharp, dynamic lines that link the sleek upper body with the stable and planted lower body. Philip Crossman, managing di- rector of Honda UK, commented: "Honda is back with a bang in 2015! We have a pivotal 12 months ahead of us and kicking off the year with an award at the most prestigious automotive award ceremony is a fantastic achievement. "Being voted for by readers has a deeper significance for the brand and demonstrates the connection, belief and trust we have with our customers. We'd like to thank all of the readers who voted for the HR-V and invite them to join us as we refresh the range and take the brand to even greater heights in the next 12 months!" Petnutrition House help support Service Dogs Malta Petnutrition House, representatives of Prince dog food, will assist Serv- ice Dogs Malta foundation by con- tributing €1 for every four-kilo and 12-kilo bag sale as from December 1 2014 and is still available during the month of January 2015. This initiative complies with the companies philosophy to assist NGOs who contribute so much to society . We encourage the public to support this scheme so as to assist in collecting funds for the Service Dogs Malta foundation that requires funding to fulfill its objectives. Director of Petnutrition house Ltd Matthew Wismayer, The Commissioner of Animals Manuel Buhagiar, a representative from the Service Dog Malta Foundation Joseph Stafrace and Dog Trainer Robert Spiteri Did you know that Buskett is home to some plants so rare that they can only be found there? Buskett is also special because it contains several habitat types and so is home to many wood-associated species. It was for this reason that the PARKS division within the Ministry for Sustainable Development, En- vironment and Change is restoring and rehabilitating one of Malta's few woodland areas, that is, the Buskett and Girgenti site. Buskett/Giregenti are a Natura 2000 site, which means that they have been designated part of a network of protected nature ar- eas. Launched last August, the LIFE Sav- ing Buskett project will run through to May 2018. The aim of the project is threefold: to protect the watercourse and its banks, to protect the stability of the ground on the valley sides of Buskett and to remove alien species that are harming habitats. The Saving Buskett project: so what exactly is going to take place? The repairing, restoring and re- building walls is required in order to support a number of habitats that have been marked as a priority. These are referred to as Annex I priority habitats and consist of certain kinds of trees. Their scientific names are Arborescent matorral with Laurus nobilis, Salix Alba and Populus alba galleries, and other trees character- istic of riparian woodland, such as Fraxinus angustifolia and Ulmus sp. The retaining walls and arched buttresses along the watercourse will be repaired, restored and/or re- built. Such soil stabilisation meas- ures, apart from consolidating the definition of the watercourse itself will reduce the deposition and sedi- mentation of soil and debris on the watercourse coming down from the valley sides. Signs to guide visitors in proximity to the watercourse will be put in place. Soil stabilisation measures The works for this part of the project will lead to the reduction of soil and debris that make their way down to the watercourse from the valley sides causing sedimentation in, and occlu- sion of, the watercourse. These are needed to protect the sta- bility of the substratum on the valley sides supporting the following An- nex I habitats: Arborescent matorral with laurus nobilis, Mediterranean pine forests with endemic Mesogean pines, Olea and Ceratonia forests, and Quercus ilex and Quercus rotun- difolia forests. These works will introduce soil sta- bilisation measures which include re- pairing, restoring/rebuilding retain- ing walls along the watercourse and those that support the substratum on the valley sides. Other soil stabilisa- tion measures, such as the placing of geo-textile material, mulches over exposed areas, and dead wood to serve as obstruction structures will also be put in place. Restoration of footpaths These will better manage walking around Buskett whilst protecting the habitats. Removal of silt/boulders from watercourse Selective removal of silt/boulders along the watercourse will be care- fully removed. The material that will be removed is that which is doing direct harm to the targeted habitats. This action will also directly benefit a cluster of Populus alba trees that are growing at the lower end of the wa- tercourse. Removal of alien species Alien species which have grown in the Buskett area and new trees char- acteristic of the targeted habitats will be planted. Seed collection and planting of tree saplings 3,800 trees are being propagated in our nursery for eventual planting at Buskett, all seeds and cuttings are being taken from Buskett to preserve the genes. The Vodafone Malta Foundation is contributing to the restoration of Our Lady of Victory church Most of us know Buskett as a popular picnic area, but what many of us don't know is that the woodland grove is home to some very rare species. dr Mark Causon tells Veronica Stivala why a project to save Buskett has been set up